You have to understand that as a proud short guy, I am 100% comfortable with my height. Being on the short side is as much of a part of my identity as my ethnicity is. It's who I am. Doing anything to mask how tall I am then would suggest that I am anything but comfortable with myself. Elevator Shoes are a type of footwear designed to secretly give men a boost of a few inches in height. To my surprise, there is a huge market for them. Are men who wear them insecure? After some research, my perception of them morphed from being anti to the idea that worn sparingly, they can be an integral tool in the short man's war chest.

There are many brands of elevator shoes. Guidomaggi elevator shoes fall in the luxury category. They hail from Italy and boast being hand-made and of superior quality. After researching other brands, many look cheaply made by comparison and don't exactly exude style. Guidomaggi shoes do the exact opposite. Let's break down why. We received two pairs shoes from their vast inventory for free to review. As with any review we do here, expect the good and the bad.

The Packaging

These shoes aint cheap! It is important to remember that you are paying for quality. Even the packaging reflects this. The boxes are black with gold print on the cover and a red interior - almost regal in appearance.

Inside the box, both shoes are protected by cloth bags and black packing paper. You can also find a mini brochure with most of their inventory. Whichever shoes are contained within will have harder black packing paper which you can reuse to help the shoes keep their shape and reduce creasing.

This type of shoe didn't die with Elvis. They are as popular as ever these days in the Oxford style. Titled "Côte d'Azur", these have a rich deep blue hue and can be worn with both casually and formal attire. As the color isn't neutral, you'll have to be very choosy about what you match them with. After perusing a few fashion blogs and Google Image sets, I felt burgundy slacks or an outfit with a blue monochromatic them would work best. My girlfriend was more excited than I was when she saw them for the first time. Here you can see me wearing them with jeans (Xios) and a button down shirt (H&M).

The great thing about these shoes is that the shape of the shoe doesn't suggest any awkwardness. They look as normal as any other shoes but amazing and of high quality. The construction is solid. The inner lining of the shoes are made from actual goatskin. The insole is made from fine leather (compare that to the cardboard inserts of cheaper insoles) as is the outsole and heel. They were initially a tight fit, but after I loosened the laces and put them on, the first few steps didn't leave any creases like cheaper brands of shoes.

These are about as leather as they get. Tan Leather boots that are actually tan are hard to find, so I was thrilled when this pair actually matched the color displayed on their website. These boots, called "The Staten Island" are close to "Ash Wood" in color which opened up a lot of outfit ideas which just can't be supported with typical browns. Chinos, Cargo Pants and Dark Jeans would go really well with these ditties. It should be noted that these boots are actually painstakingly handpainted and buffed according to Guidomaggi website.

After some experimentation, I decided on a dress casual look featuring a gray sweater, white henley shirt and dark blue jeans. The dark blue made for a nice contrast with the boots bringing attention to its light color. Initially, the fit was really tight and hard to get in. Loosening up the laces a lot from the bottom up allowed me to slip them on a lot easier. They still fit pretty snug, though not uncomfortably so. Walking in them was a breeze.

Note The New Height Difference Between My Girlfriend And I, About 4 Inches

After posting this pic on social media, compliments kept on coming in for the shoes. It's not hard to understand why. They look amazing and feel great. The slope caused by the insoles are soft to the touch and don't make walking feel that awkward (which is not what I expected). Whether you cover the tops with your pants or expose them by tucking them in, provided you are cognizant of your color choice, it would be hard to not pull of a great look with these boots.

Walking

Elevator Shoes boost your height by way of a hidden insole. On Guidomaggis, these insoles are removable. With the shoes off, the insoles are visible, but their design makes them conspicuous, only noticeable to someone who is knowledgable of how elevators are constructed.

Insoles Exposed. They'll Never Know, And The Lining Is Made Of Genuine Leather.

Walking in them will seem a bit weird at first. Remember, women's heels do exactly what insoles do except they're visible. After your first few steps you will break them in, but aside from the added height difference, you will notice that you have them on.

Aim Higher

While I am not an advocate for appearing taller than you naturally are, shoes like these have their uses. If you're clubbing and want to mitigate the heel effect and increase your odds, or if your significant other feels awkward being significantly taller than you in heels (which says a lot about her), then these are a good bet.

With 4 Inch Heels, She Is Closer To My Height. The Elevators Add 2 3/4 Inches.

I would not recommend however wearing height increasing shoes all of the time. Remember, the have to come off and nothing says confidence for being comfortable with who you are.

Elevators aside, these are just great shoes, the type that when they eventually wear down you'd want to take to a shoemaker to have them spruced up. Even with the high price tag, I'd say they're worth every penny if you're looking for quality. If you have the financial wherewithal and want nothing less than high quality, then Guidomaggi is your ticket.